TOPEKA BBQ SHOP

TOPEKA BBQ SHOP is a competition barbecue team with 32 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2020 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual (2021). They are ranked #949 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#949

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1610

peak 1626 · rated over 27 contests4 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 30, 2020

latest Aug 7, 2026 · 5.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#213

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve · wins it all 3% of the time

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

28% of 32 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

702.2628 / 720

Master · McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual

Perfect 180s

Current form

677.27 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 681.04 (-3.77)

Walk rate

53%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork · 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN

Consistency

±9.82

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 172.10 · weakest Brisket (168.09)

Road miles

1,238

across 32 mapped stops · furthest 123 mi

Schedule strength

66%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1584)

Purse competed for

$545K

listed at 26 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

won from 28 state-championship entries

Master avg

681.04 / 720

31 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

Against the odds

23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 77 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual (Jun 4, 2021) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 23-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, KC SMOKE DAWGS.

Giant slayer

42 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 42-team field at Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual.

Jun 4, 2021

High-water mark

702.2628 career-best overall

97.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 702.2628 at McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual — 97.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 6, 2025

State champions

1 state championship won

They've taken 1 state championship from 28 entries at contests carrying the title.

28 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

LOVE 2 Q has finished one call ahead of TOPEKA BBQ SHOP 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

17–5 behind in the head-to-head

PARTS 'R' SMOKIN ahead in 77% of their meetings

PARTS 'R' SMOKIN has come out ahead in 17 of their 22 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.01 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 29%.

Brisket avg 168.09
Chicken avg 172.10
6 calls in 31 entries

Show 7 more storylines

The drought

29 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual on Jun 4, 2021 — 29 contests and 5.3 years ago.

last GC Jun 4, 2021
5.3 years ago

A strong matchup

13–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 81% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Pine Tar BBQ in 13 of their 16 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

17 of 22 shared chicken entries lost

PARTS 'R' SMOKIN ahead 77% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PARTS 'R' SMOKIN has out-cooked them in 17 of 22 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

WOOD HOOK BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 21% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 21% across 4 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

4 June contests
top 42% the rest of the year

The metronome

±1.36% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.36% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.6% of a perfect score
32 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) every year from 2020 to 2023 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 30th

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2026 ↗	Master	#481 (344 pts)	#502 (389 pts)	#577 (334 pts)	#432 (444 pts)	#460 (409 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#372 (583 pts)	#446 (518 pts)	#451 (523 pts)	#378 (593 pts)	#425 (513 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#564 (310 pts)	#682 (255 pts)	#641 (320 pts)	#699 (235 pts)	#515 (395 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#649 (240 pts)	#712 (240 pts)	#788 (240 pts)	#542 (355 pts)	#696 (240 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#237 (947 pts)	#217 (1,022 pts)	#203 (1,107 pts)	#301 (817 pts)	#344 (697 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#213 (886 pts)	#188 (991 pts)	#256 (831 pts)	#181 (1,016 pts)	#264 (751 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to TOPEKA BBQ SHOP, each with one reason worth a look.

29 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

SMOKE ON WHEELS

#947 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 55
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1673

4–0 in 4 shared contests (100% to TOPEKA BBQ SHOP)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — TOPEKA BBQ SHOP ahead 4–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 52 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ

#950 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 15%
Peak: 1617

5–5 in 10 shared contests (50% to TOPEKA BBQ SHOP)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 59 contests to 32.

rated over 54 contests
last seen Aug 21, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Big Boys BBQ

#945 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 56
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1623

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to TOPEKA BBQ SHOP)

56 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 34% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 54 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

OLD TOWN SMOKERS

#946 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1615

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before TOPEKA BBQ SHOP's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 27 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Smokestack Redemption

#944 of the rated field

1611 power rating

Contests: 69
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1706

They've been 1706 at their best, 95 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 69 contests
last seen May 16, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE

#948 of the rated field

1610 power rating

Contests: 70
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 57%
Peak: 1661

They were already cooking in 2014, 6 years before TOPEKA BBQ SHOP's first contest.

rated over 70 contests
last seen Sep 19, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MAD MUTT'S BBQ	25	9	16	36%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	23	7	16	30%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	22	5	17	23%	⚔ compare
Barking Dog BBQ	21	8	13	38%	⚔ compare
Bocephus BBQ	20	8	12	40%	⚔ compare
LOVE 2 Q	19	7	12	37%	⚔ compare
Cities Edge BBQ	17	10	7	59%	⚔ compare
Cow Creek BBQ	17	5	12	29%	⚔ compare
FINGER LEIKAM GOOD	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
Pine Tar BBQ	16	13	3	81%	⚔ compare
Fat&Dumb BBQ	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
KC Meat Sweats	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
ALL FORKED UP FOR Q	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	31	9	1	3	178.8572	165.0856	172.10	top 39%
Pork Ribs	31	10	0	2	176.5716	157.0856	169.85	top 44%
Pork	31	9	0	4	178.8572	159.4172	171.01	top 39%
Brisket	31	6	0	1	177.7028	159.9312	168.09	top 48%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	9	0	top 27%
Large (40+)	22	1	top 48%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	6	30	top 61%	Apr 10, 2026
Smoke on the Bricks	5	7	top 33%	Aug 7, 2026
Smoke on the Water	3	4	top 29%	Oct 10, 2025
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	3	114	top 36%	Sep 27, 2023
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2	189	top 46%	Nov 5, 2025
American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST	2	95	top 63%	Sep 29, 2022

More numbers

Busiest season 2022 9 contests

Contests a season 4.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 32 of 32 contests

Contests visited 16 6 of them more than once

First title Jun 4, 2021 Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual

Opponents faced 1,347 finished ahead 2,190 times, behind 1,931

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20261 milestone

Aug 7 Most recent contest Smoke on the Bricks

20253 milestones

Apr 11 25th tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
Jun 6 Career-best overall score702.2628 McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual
Oct 10 Peak power rating (1626) Smoke on the Water

20231 milestone

Aug 11 Career-best single call (Pork)178.8572 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN

20221 milestone

Apr 29 10th tracked contest Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition

20217 milestones

Apr 9 First call Smoke in the Spring
Jun 4 First category win (Chicken) Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual
Jun 4 First overall top-10 Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual
Jun 4 First overall podium Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual
Jun 4 First Grand Championship Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual
Jun 4 First state championship Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual
Jun 4 Biggest field won (42 teams) Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual

20202 milestones

Oct 30 First tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
Oct 30 First overall past 90% of a perfect score669.6572 Smoke in the Spring

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.1	Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual	Jun 4, 2021
+13	Smoke on the Bricks	Aug 26, 2022
+11	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual	Jun 6, 2025
+10.6	Smoke on the Water	Oct 14, 2022
+10.5	Happy Basset 2nd Annual BBQ Competition	Jul 1, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.4	Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT)	Apr 10, 2026
-8.8	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 11, 2025
-4.8	Smoke in the Spring	Apr 8, 2022
-3.1	Smoke on the Bricks	Aug 7, 2026
-2.7	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	Sep 27, 2023

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	3	0	0	0	33%	top 62%	94.7%	94%
2025	5	0	1	0	60%	top 40%	97.5%	95.2%
2024	3	0	1	0	67%	top 34%	95.5%	94.9%
2023	4	0	0	0	25%	top 66%	94.8%	94.1%
2022	9	0	4	0	56%	top 30%	97%	94.8%
2021	7	1	3	1	71%	top 33%	97.1%	94.6%
2020	1	0	0	0	0%	top 61%	93%	93%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 7, 2026	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	29 / 52 (678.1828)	34 (168.5256)	24 (171.9772)	14 (173.1200)	37 (164.5600)
Jun 5, 2026	McLouth BBQ Blowout 35th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	14 / 30 (681.6116)	11 (171.9772)	21 (167.3944)	12 (169.6916)	8 (172.5484)
Apr 10, 2026	Smoke in the Spring (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Osage City, KS	84 / 101 (669.5884)	59 (170.8572)	101 (157.0856)	54 (170.8228)	51 (170.8228)
Nov 5, 2025	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	196 / 401 (678.2400)	230 (168.5600)	54 (175.4172)	267 (166.2972)	205 (167.9656)
Oct 10, 2025	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	15 / 30 (678.7428)	17 (171.9656)	3 (176.5600)	19 (167.9772)	24 (162.2400)
Aug 8, 2025	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	11 / 53 (698.2172)	7 (176.5600)	27 (170.8344)	10 (175.4172)	11 (175.4056)
Jun 6, 2025	McLouth BBQ Blowout 34th Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	3 / 28 (702.2628)	9 (175.4172)	13 (172.5600)	2 (177.7028)	4 (176.5828)
Apr 11, 2025	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	66 / 92 (668.9944)	78 (165.0856)	69 (166.8344)	66 (166.2516)	34 (170.8228)
Oct 30, 2024	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	189 / 444 (679.3368)	43 (177.1428)	303 (165.6800)	33 (176.5828)	348 (159.9312)
Aug 9, 2024	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	16 / 46 (687.3372)	22 (170.2628)	18 (170.8344)	25 (168.5372)	4 (177.7028)
May 31, 2024	McLouth BBQ Blowout 33rd Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	9 / 35 (683.4632)	13 (171.4172)	7 (172.6288)	14 (169.6800)	12 (169.7372)
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	272 / 487 (669.1544)	261 (168)	351 (162.8344)	191 (169.7372)	192 (168.5828)
Aug 12, 2023	5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Mayetta, KS	57 / 62 (682.2172)	37 (174.8572)	62 (165.7144)	28 (173.1200)	54 (168.5256)
Aug 11, 2023	5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Mayetta, KS	60 / 90 (679.8856)	62 (169.6800)	81 (161.0972)	6 (178.8572)	45 (170.2512)
Apr 7, 2023	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	53 / 103 (678.7544)	52 (170.2744)	57 (169.1200)	43 (170.8228)	56 (168.5372)
Oct 14, 2022	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	4 / 28 (698.2288)	9 (171.9772)	4 (174.2744)	3 (177.7144)	6 (174.2628)
Oct 1, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	137 / 505 (680.5256)	231 (168)	91 (173.7028)	32 (177.1428)	324 (161.6800)
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS	95 / 249 (684.5260)	55 (174.8572)	109 (171.4172)	55 (174.8572)	208 (163.3944)
Aug 26, 2022	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	7 / 48 (690.8116)	2 (178.8572)	7 (172.5600)	12 (174.2628)	31 (165.1316)
Jul 1, 2022	Happy Basset 2nd Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Topeka, KS	5 / 24 (684.4800)	8 (170.8344)	6 (171.9772)	8 (173.1200)	10 (168.5484)
Jun 3, 2022	McLouth BBQ Blowout 31st Annual 🏅 McLouth, KS	7 / 30 (673.2344)	4 (174.8800)	3 (174.2628)	20 (160.6516)	15 (163.4400)
Apr 29, 2022	Red, White, Blue BBQ Competition 🏅 Topeka, KS	24 / 77 (683.2912)	18 (174.2628)	7 (176.5600)	49 (163.9428)	28 (168.5256)
Apr 8, 2022	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	67 / 94 (664.4572)	67 (166.2400)	56 (167.4172)	59 (167.3944)	64 (163.4056)
Oct 15, 2021	Smoke on the Water 🏅 Topeka, KS	6 / 25 (690.7656)	6 (173.7028)	7 (173.1200)	3 (177.7028)	14 (166.2400)
Sep 16, 2021	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	114 / 467 (674.7540)	30 (175.4056)	191 (167.9772)	223 (165.6800)	206 (165.6912)
Sep 16, 2021	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS	161 / 185 (662.8000)	61 (173.1200)	122 (168.5600)	177 (159.4172)	161 (161.7028)
Aug 20, 2021	Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS	18 / 46 (674.7888)	14 (171.4056)	30 (162.2744)	8 (174.8688)	20 (166.2400)
Jul 9, 2021	Sand Creek Summer Daze Saucy & Glazed BBQ Competition 🏅 Newton, KS	6 / 21 (678.2288)	2 (178.8572)	12 (164.6060)	4 (174.2628)	15 (160.5028)
Jun 4, 2021	Mclouth BBQ Blowout 29th Annual 🏅 Mclouth, KS	1 / 42 (698.8916)	1 (176.5944)	4 (174.8572)	2 (173.7372)	3 (173.7028)
Apr 9, 2021	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	30 / 105 (686.7772)	67 (167.3944)	6 (176.5716)	60 (167.9656)	15 (174.8456)
Oct 30, 2020	Smoke in the Spring 🏅 Osage City, KS	57 / 93 (669.6572)	54 (168)	44 (168.5372)	71 (164)	40 (169.1200)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

TOPEKA BBQ SHOP

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Against the odds

Giant slayer

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The metronome

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)